Adjustable shoulder strap for undergarments



Sept. 18, 1951 M. TRAUB ET AL" 2,568,670

ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAP FOR UNDERGARMENTS Filed March 10, 1950 I I INVEN TOR! MON TBAUB 2 Y y JACOB A. NYER Patented Sept. 18, 1951 ADJUSTABLE SHOULDER STRAP FOR UNDERGARMENTS Milton Traub and Jacob A. Nyer, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application March 10, 1950, Serial No. 148,966

1 Claim.

I This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ladies" undergarments and, more particularly, to an improved adjustable shoulder strap therefor.

Adjustable shoulder straps are known in which i strap.

The former of these known types of adjustable shoulder straps has been found lacking in that, by necessity, the buttonholes or the like in the strap had to be spaced some distance apart which resulted in the straps not being universally adjustable, but adjustable only to those lengths fixed by the positions of the buttonholes; and if the desired length for the strap should happen to'be one other than those provided for, it could not be had.

The second-mentioned known type of adjustable shoulder strap has been found lacking in that, due to the fineness and smoothness of the material of which ladies 'undergarment shoulder straps are manufactured, the strap when adjusted to the correct length did not retain its setting, but rather gradually slipped through the regulating buckles, resulting in that frequent readjustments were required. Further, in most instances the looping arrangement, in an attempt to minimize such slippage, was made complex so that adjustments of the strap could not be made quickly or easily.

The second-mentioned known type of adjustable shoulder strap has further been found to be objectionable in that when 'the adjustment of the strap has been completed there is left protruding from the buckle an annoying strap end which cannot be disposed of and which oft times projects to the outside of dresses and the like having the popular low cut neckline.

One object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a shoulder strap for ladies undergarments which is universally adjustable to any desired length and which can be locked in its adjusted setting, and which eliminates the objections to the prior art constructions.

Another object of the invention is to construct said strap so that the same is quickly and easily adjusted and locked in adjusted position.-

A further object of the present invention proposes a novel shoulder strap in which all stresses and strains are absorbed by the novel locking 2 device leaving the buckle free of all such stresses and strains.

It is a further object of the present invention to. construct an adjustable shoulder strap which is simple and durable and whichv can be manufactured and offered for sale at areasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a ladys undergarment provided with the shoulder straps of the invention.

7 Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the adjustable portion of one of the straps shown also in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2 with the thicknesses of the parts magnified to clarify the view.

, Fig. 4. is a fragmentary side view of the strap of Fig. 2 with the adjustable portion thereof in a modified position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slide fastener device utilized for adjusting the straps.

Referring to Fig. 1, the improved shoulder straps [0 of the invention are herein illustrated as applied to a brassiere ll of otherwise ordinary construction, but it is to be understood that said straps are applicable equally well to other ladies undergarments such as slips and the like, and even to ladies outer'garments to which adjustable shoulder straps are afiixed. I

As shown in Fig. 1 each shoulder strap comprises a main portion 12 which is secured to the rear portion of the brassiere in the usual manner and, as better seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, an adjustment portion comprising a slide fastener tape l3 and a backing strip [4 secured to tape l3 by stitching l5, Tape [3 and strip I4 are secured to the front portion of the brassiere in any suitable manner as here shown being fixed between the body of the brassiere and an edging strip l6 therefor by stitching I1. Preferably the main portion 12 and both layers of the adjustment portion of each strap In all are of the same width as shown.

The slide fastener tape I3 is of the usual sort, consisting of separate parallel members connected together at either end by suitable clamps l8, and having on their proximate edges, slide fastener elements 20 interlocked with one another by the action of a slider 2|. The slide fastener elements preferably made of the polymeric amide readily available under the trade-mark Nylon. Said slider, for the purpose at hand, is of the well-known locking type, that is to say, it can be slid over a desired number of the elements 20 to interlock said elements and then be locked in that position relative to the ends of the tape. To this end the operating tongue 22 pivoted to the slider by means of arms 23, see Fig. 5, has it pivoted end looped about to form a cam-like wedge 24 adapted to pass through a suitable hole 2 in the slider.

The construction is such that when tongue 22 is in the raised or operating position shown in Fig. 5, the slider 2| can be moved over the elements 20, but when the tongue is pressed flat against the slider and the tape I3, the wedge cam 24 moves downward through hole 25 and wedges the elements 28 therebeneath against the other side of the slider, locking the latter in position.

a As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the free end of tape 13 is looped over the centermost of the three cross bars of a buckle 26, said loop being secured by stitching 21. If desired the backing strip It may also be looped over the center cross bar of the buckle 26 which preferably is formed of Nylon or other similar material so that no metallic contact is made with the body of the arments wearer.

Y The main portion I2 of shoulder strap [3 is threaded through the buckle 26 as shown and has its free end secured about a cross bar 28 of tongue 22 by stitching 30.

Itwill be seen therefore that the effective length of the shoulder strap 19 is determined by the position inwhich slider 21 is locked. The

lower the slider in Figs. 1 and 2, the shorter the effective length of the strap, and vice versa.- To

adjust the length of the shoulder strap, the main portion l2 thereof is pulled through the buckle 26 a short distance as shown in Fig. 4, the tongue 22 moved to operating position, and the slider 2| moved to and then locked in the desired position. The main portion I2 is then pulled back through the buckle 26 and the strap is locked at the desired length.

It is to be mentioned that the buckle 26 serves to maintain the pull of main portion 12 on the strap.

It will be seen therefore that there has been 4 provided a shoulder strap which is adjustable to and lockable at any desired length quickly and easily.

While .we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

An adjustable shoulder strap for a ladys undergarment having opposed front and rear portions to be supported from the wearers shoulder, comprising an adjustment strap having one end secured to the top edge of the front portion of the undergarment to extend vertically therefrom, a main strap having one end secured to the top edge of the rear portion of the undergarment to extend vertically therefrom over the top of the wearers shoulder andhave its free end depend along the outer face of the adjustment strap, a buckle having spaced parallel slots separated by an intermediate cross bar, said adjustment strap having its top end secured to said cross bar, said main strap having its intermediate portion laced slidably through said slots of said buckle and frictionally bearing against the end of said adjustment strap secured to said cross REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date,

2,216,134 Rabinowitz Oct. 1, 1940 2,282,410 Roseman May 12, 1942 2,342,066 Tramill Feb. 15, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 'Number Country Date 474,040 Great Britain Apr. 22; 1937 

